nyccali

Can anybody give me an indication as to what Middlebury looks for in a student, as well as how tough the admission rate is for transfer students?

Just a background if you're interested: I'm a rising sophomore at Fordham University and I would consider myself pretty miserable there. I applied for transfer this year, but the schools I got accepted to made me realize that I don't want to go to a big school in a city. What I really want is a small liberal arts college to teach me how to think—not so much so as what to think. My ideal college would also be in the middle of nowhere, rural America. I've lived all my life in a city and I figure that a rural environment would push my perceptions more off the grid than what a metropolitan environment would.

I hold a 3.9 GPA at Fordham, but a 3.2 UW (Weighted with 4 AP's) gpa at an extremely competitive high school.
SAT: 1870
EC'S: KQED Radio internship, New America Media internship, San Francisco magazine internship, college school newspaper writer, volunteer as writing tutor at 826 valencia, volunteer as academic tutor in an org. in NYC, copy editing staff member of college's newspaper and research journal. In high school, I was editor of the opinion section of my school paper, a Pacemaker winner.

When I return to Fordham, I plan to initiate a petition to get recycling bins for paper in the residential hall. (Would you believe our res hall doesn't recycle PAPER?!?!) I also plan to join the Jew club, enviornmental club, middle eastern club, and mock trial.

Hook: I'm Chinese American + first generation. I speak Cantonese, Teochew (an archaic dialect of Chinese), and of course English. I plan to major in English and minor in Spanish. (which may be appealing to Middlebury).

+I'm confident I can get some pretty kick ass recommendations.

I'm also applying to Kenyon, Oberlin, Carleton, Skidmore, Whitman, Lawrence, Vassar, Hamilton (and there's about 10 more LAC's to add to the list since I know the acceptance rate for most LACs are extremely narrow).

Now, I know I don't have shiniest stats for Middlebury. I'm almost positive that I will be rejected, but Middlebury is my first choice school. It's the quintessential liberal arts school and the community, the rigor, the thoughtfulness of their students, the town, the maple syrup really all amounts to the perfect package school.

OldbatesieDoc

Some years, they take NO transfers, but your stats are good.
Amherst is more interested in transfers, but that is from community colleges.
"Jew Club"???What in the world is that?

farkula

LOL,

"Teochew (an archaic dialect of Chinese)"

I guess my whole family and the chinese community here are ancient since they (not me, im pathetic and can only understand) love their language and don't want to abbandon it even when it's not the national language.

ANYWAY, your stats are so much better than mine, and I'm an internationsal student... I'm pretty sure if MIDD accepts transfer, you are a good shot! gl.

nyccali

@ OldbatesieDoc

The Jewish culture club!

@farkula
Thanks! Indeed, I'm first generation so that was my native language, as my parents came to American speaking only Teochew. It's a language I'm most likely not going to pass to my kids though...haha.

I'm surprised you guys think my stats are good. Perhaps for another college, but the impression I got from the accepted student stats at Middlebury that the "prerequisite" is give or take SAT: 2100, GPA: 4.0, and out-of-this-world essays.

Any tips about transferring to a liberal arts college or Middlebury in specific?

junbug101

Totally irrelevant to your question but I am Teochew too. I was searching Teochew and it brought me here. But the Min dialect which Teochew is part of is considered to be more archaic than Mandarin or Cantonese. Just some trivia.